Objective: Cancer treatment involves multiple modalities, such as surgery, cytotoxic chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiotherapy, and treatment outcomes have been progressively improving in recent years through multidisciplinary strategies. However, concerns about a range of adverse effects persist throughout the course of treatment, and cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is among the most common and most challenging to manage. This symptom is accompanied by fatigue that is difficult to recover from even with adequate rest and can affect patients’ overall condition as well as their subsequent responses to therapy. Nevertheless, because there is no standardized approach to treatment or management, the need for effective management strategies has been increasingly emphasized.
Case Report: This case report describes a Korean woman in her 60s who underwent surgery and anticancer therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer and subsequently reported symptoms consistent with CRF. After anticancer treatment, the patient experienced typical treatment-related adverse effects, including fatigue, lethargy, anxiety, insomnia, weight loss, and lymphedema, which were also consistent with CRF. Accordingly, Ortho-Cellular Nutrition Therapy (OCNT), which involved prescribing nutrients such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, beta-glucan, selenium, and vitamin D, was applied as an adjunctive therapy. As a result, overall fatigue and CRF symptoms that developed after anticancer treatment improved to a level that did not substantially interfere with daily activities.
Conclusion: This case report demonstrates the potential for OCNT to be implemented as a practical adjunctive strategy for managing CRF. In addition, the findings are consistent with the direction of integrative cancer care proposed in current oncology guidelines, suggesting that nutrient-based interventions may contribute to the overall improvement in CRF in the future.